


Live

by staturescout



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, Tragedy, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-30 01:19:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16276235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staturescout/pseuds/staturescout
Summary: They met under extreme circumstances, they were trying to make the most of their lives.





	Live

They first met in a remote forest with an eery cabin in the center. Ace was able to sneak his way around what they dubbed as the Huntress, a tall woman who hummed a creepy tune as she hunted for prey with an axe. When he met David King, the guy was making so much noise they almost got caught by her.  
  
In a way, they kept each other in check. Ace was taking too many calculated risks, leaving David to reel him back in to safety. David on the other hand took a more aggressive approach. Ace had to pull him out of the way of her axe when he punched her in the face, cracking her mask. They ran as fast as they could to lose her but she was hot on their heels. The Huntress had thrown an axe at David, but Ace blocked it, taking the hit on his arm. He wasn't sure why he did, he always looked out for himself and only himself.  
  
But the pair worked well together, along with two other strangers. The two girls helped patch up Ace's laceration and they were all back at it, trying to escape from the Huntress' lair. Gates held them in, completely lacking electricity to power it open. One of the girls pointed into the distance at a dormant machine.  
  
"See those generators? We need to get them up and running to open the exit gates." One of the girls said.  
  
The men nodded, heading toward one further away while the girls worked on closer generators. There were many close calls and stealthy tactics, but the group of survivors managed to get the exit gates opened. Trying to keep the girls safe, David shooed them away to the second gate the Huntress neglected.  
  
Seeing the exit open was only the beginning. Who knew how far the Huntress would chase them? Ace was beginning to tire from running so much. If only he had kept up with exercising like he did in his twenties. He began to fall behind, but David wasn't letting him collapse just yet.  
  
"Go! I'll buy you some time!" David shouted at him, slowing his own pace.  
  
"But-"  
  
An axe whizzed right past David's cheek, grazing it enough to draw blood. Ace stopped his protest to run. If he could just escape far enough, David had a chance to live too. He looked back every now and then, checking to make sure David was still behind him. Although he was further away than Ace wanted, he was there right behind him. The Huntress' humming was far off in the distance the further they ran through the darkness of the forest. It felt like an eternity when they finally reached a small village, with no flying axes or creeping humming in the distance.  
  
Immediately collapsing on the floor from his out of shape, aging body, Ace felt air come and go from his lungs at a fast and heavy pace. It burned, everything burned, but they were safe. The girls exited through a second gate, so Ace assumed they were safe as well. Everyone, as far as he was concerned, was safe.  
  
"C'mon, old man. Don't stop now." David teased, putting an arm around him to help him up.  
  
Ace didn't mind being held up. At least his jelly-like legs could have a moment to catch up with the burning pain.  
  
The officers of the village searched the areas for such an ominous place, but they found nothing. Or perhaps, they did find something and a few officers went missing. They dodged David's question when he asked what happened to two of their officers. Not much else was to be done on their part. David felt perhaps it was all a collective fever dream, but seeing his healing wounds brought him back to reality.  
  
The two men recovered in the same small clinic. Their wounds weren't life threatening, so thankfully they didn't need to be there long. They stayed up playing poker, watching very old television, and chatting, trying to pass the time by while their bodies recovered.  
  
It was a sleepless night when Ace commented on the scar still barely visible on David's cheek. He brushed his fingers along the scar slowly, almost expecting David to swat his hand away. Instead, he leaned into Ace's hand. It surprised both of them. Sure, the man was almost a decade older than David, but that made him feel more thrilled inside. Something about the gambling, risk-taking, annoying flirt just entrapped him. For someone always seeking a thrill, Ace was perfect.  
  
David and Ace ended up moving in together. Although his family can afford to get him any apartment or home he wanted, David chose to settle down and get a simple job as a security guard for the time being, to make a living on his own. He was smart enough to get a better career, but given his history of aggression and his sudden lack of care for his academia, it was easier to get a basic job. Though it didn't pay amazingly and was pretty boring most of the time, David actually liked it. It paid his bills and he didn't have to do much of anything.

It took some convincing for Ace to find an actual job that didn't run the risk of also losing the money he earned. He became a banker at a card room casino. If he couldn't gamble, he may as well watch others do it. It also helped him learn new things he couldn't normally catch when he was playing.  
  
Despite their rough patches (and Ace being annoying as fuck), David felt at peace there. The shoddy little apartment they shared held new memories. It felt more like a home than the home he once shared with his parents.  
  
Just like their random survival night (which they both wanted to keep pretending was a fever dream), the two balanced each other out. Ace was the one who can smooth talk his way out of unnecessary and preventable fights that David always found himself in. As for the gambling man, David made sure Ace didn't risk their entire livelihood just for a quick buck. His midlife crisis had to come to an end eventually, David thought.  
  
And somehow, it all worked. Their chemistry shouldn't work, not when both of them are hard-headed assholes with a tainted reputation. Life began to slow down. Both men felt at peace with their lives, trying to become better men than they were before. If not for themselves, for each other.  
  
Everything felt too good to be true, David thought every now and then. Something had to be coming, some form of danger. These men, after all, have lived risky lives. That night, David wished he hadn't thought about it so much.  
  
It was a warm night. David wandered their home shirtless as he opened all their windows. He wiped off some sweat with a towel, sticking his head out the window to feel the breeze.  
  
Ace had just gotten back from the card room casino nearby, cackling at his earnings. "Dave, if you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?"  
  
David scoffed at his boyfriend's cockiness. He couldn't have won that much.  
  
"I've already been everywhere I wanted to go."  
  
Seeing Ace frown from defeat made him feel a bit badly. But it was the truth. David had to think fast. Where the hell would he want Ace to take him?  
  
"How about," David stammered, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Manchester?"  
  
"Not even gonna be London? It's a great tourist trap."  
  
David approached him, gently knocking at Ace's forehead. "My hometown, sweet cheeks."  
  
Ace lit up at the mention of David's birthplace. He was like a grown child, running around the apartment to start packing. David didn't bother, he was sure he had time. It wasn't like they were going to leave immediately.  
  
"Let's go tomorrow."  
  
Or maybe they were.  
  
"What? Seriously?"  
  
"Why not?" Ace shrugged, grabbing clothes off the floor from the "clean clothes pile", as he liked to call it. "...I'm meeting your parents, aren't I?"  
  
"Perhaps..." David muttered under his breath. He sighed loudly, suddenly nervous about it. He made his way back to their room, laying down in bed without the sheets over him.  
  
"Are you worried?" Ace asked curiously.  
  
"Worried is an understatement."

  
"What's there to worry about? I'm sure they'll love me! Right?"  
  
Seeing Ace smirk confidently made David grimace in doubt. His parents definitely wouldn't like him. Ace caught on to the look, trying to turn David over to face him.  
  
"Wait, why did you do that? Why'd you give me that look?"  
  
"Just go to bed, Ace. We'll discuss it tomorrow."  
  
The heat wasn't helping David fall asleep, neither was Ace rummaging around to pack up both of their belongings. Eventually Ace's movements became white noise to him, causing David to drift into a light slumber.  
  
He could have sworn he heard a grunt or a scream, but before he knew it he was out cold. When he woke up again, he was on the cold hard ground of a forest.  
  
No, not again, David thought.  
  
"Ace-" He was cut off short by the looming presence of the Huntress.  
  
"No shirt this time?" She spoke with an accent, which surprised him. He assumed she didn't even talk.  
  
David managed to dodge her axe coming down at him. He used his athletic prowess to avoid her entirely, losing her in the brush. She passed by him without a clue. At first, he was thankful for losing her. But seeing her next victim made his heart drop to his stomach.  
  
Three people were working on a generator, one of them being Ace. David jumped out of his hiding spot, ready to yell at him to watch out, but the Huntress swung at the younger male. David watched quietly, hoping Ace would manage to run. He didn't give a damn if the poor young man was going to survive or not. All he cared about was Ace.  
  
As the injured man ran off, Ace jumped in between him and the Huntress. David cursed under his breath. Of all the times for him to act like a hero, it had to be when he was in front of a killer.  
  
She took him down with ease, hooking him instantly. Hearing Ace scream in pain made David wince.  
  
"Come and get your man." The Huntress taunted him.  
  
She knew.  
  
David wanted to see if anyone else was willing to help him save his boyfriend, but the strangers he saw ran off into the distance. It seemed as if the Huntress had a grudge on him, using Ace as bait. With the only two survivors in the area running off to fend for themselves, David had to make the decision.  
  
"Clock's ticking." She hummed, watching as the Entity began to manifest around Ace. He hadn't seen the thing before. It looked as though she was hunting for sacrifices. Ace was clearly getting nervous, as sharp objects appeared beside him.  
  
"Let him go!" David shouted. "Let him go and I'll go willingly."  
  
David walked out of his hiding spot. He came face to face with the Huntress, occasionally keeping an eye on Ace to make sure the Entity didn't kill him.  
  
"Wait, David-"  
  
The Huntress grinned. "What are you waiting for?"  
  
David grabbed Ace, trying to release him from the hook. He couldn't even lift him off before the Huntress grabbed ahold of him and threw him over her shoulder.  
  
"No! Ace!"  
  
Ace tried to struggle free, but the Entity fought back. David could only watch as the Huntress set him on a hook not too far away. The pain was unreal. He let out a blood curdling scream as it ripped through his body. As if to taunt him, the Huntress tossed her axe at Ace from where she stood. He could hear Ace screaming from the pain as he continued to fight the Entity.  
  
"Bitch." David spat at the Huntress. She probably gained satisfaction from his anger.  
  
Out of nowhere, a girl rescued Ace from his hook. The Huntress was a bit surprised but didn't show it for very long. She turned back to face David.  
  
"That's okay. I have you." She smirked, swinging her axe at him. He yelped in pain with each hit, blood gushing from his wounds. This wasn't how he wanted to go. Back in his mind, behind all the pain, he was glad Ace was saved. If one of them had to die, he'd rather it be himself.  
  
The Huntress cleaned her axe after a few more hits. David was on the brink of unconsciousness when he felt hands lifting him off the hook. He was barely standing, but he could see Ace, clutching his shoulder next to him.  
  
The Huntress swung immediately, knocking Ace into David. They fell together, struggling to stay conscious.  
  
"David." Ace mumbled. "You have to live."  
  
The sound of the other survivors attempting to distract the Huntress became background noise. Ace stroked David's cheek, almost similar to when they were at that small clinic, and David had to choke back everything he wanted to yell.  
  
"Please, live."  
  
They were supposed to be resting before they flew to Manchester. Ace was supposed to be clinging onto him despite the heat, David would cuddle up to him anyway.  
  
All the noise and reality came back as the Huntress picked Ace up, hanging him once again on a hook. The Entity stabbed straight through his torso, bringing his limp body up into the sky. There, his body disintegrated into the dark nothingness. David had no words. There was still some fight left in him. He mustered up all his willpower just to stand up. A combination of blood loss, shock, and standing up too fast made David disoriented. He could see himself swinging, trying to get a hit on the killer. None of his attacks hit their target. It took one hit from the end of the handle of the Huntress' axe to take him down. The world fell into silence once again, even as the Huntress grabbed David and put him back on the hook. And just like Ace, David's body rose up into the sky as he blacked out.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because of a silly experience I had in-game. The killer baited my David with me (as Ace) and killed us both. The killer was messaging my David back and forth, which is what the dialogue was based on. Of course, it turned into a tragic love story.


End file.
